The Use Of A Motorized Modular Head Positioning System In Cervical Spine Surgery: A Single Surgeon Experience

Introduction: Cervical spine surgery necessitates precise and stable patient positioning to optimize surgical outcomes and minimize complications. Traditionally, the Mayfield head holder has been used to secure patients' heads during these procedures. However, its use has been associated with scalp lacerations (78% of reported complications), skull fractures (2.4%), abrasions (2.3%), hematomas (0.71%), and other complications (Shah et al., Thijs et al.). This study evaluates the advantages of using a motorized modular head positioning system as an alternative to the standard Mayfield head holder in cervical spine surgery.

Methods: An analysis was conducted on 96 patients who underwent cervical spine surgery from 2022-2024 at one institution using the motorized head positioning system. Data was collected retrospectively from patient records, focusing on adverse effects related to head positioning, ease of intraoperative adjustments, and surgical outcomes. The motorized head holder was compared to the Mayfield head holder regarding its impact on scalp integrity, the ease of making precise adjustments intraoperatively, and amount of correction achieved.

Results: Our review of patients revealed that adverse effects associated with head positioning were significantly reduced with the use of the motorized system. The incidence of scalp lacerations and pressure injuries was 0% in the collected data. Additionally, the surgeon reported far greater ease of adjustment with the motorized head positioning system, which facilitated sufficient deformity correction from a posterior approach and often obviated the need for an anterior approach to achieve the desired correction.

Conclusion : The findings of this study suggest that the motorized head positioning system offers a superior alternative to the traditional Mayfield head holder in cervical spine surgery. By reducing the risk of injuries related to head positioning and by providing greater ease of intraoperative adjustment, the head holder enhances both surgical efficiency and patient care. These advantages make the motorized head positioning system a valuable tool in improving outcomes for patients undergoing cervical spine surgeries.